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22. 11. 12. - 14:00

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22. 11. 12. - 14:00

Hobbit Boy

Kathryn Quinn

A boy whose toes have grown so huge he can never wear shoes called Hobbit by his pals is to have a life altering up to cure his rare condition.

Meng Weixin, 14, from Nongshan, in Guangxi Zhuang, southern China, was born with toes as big as his small fists.

But as they grew and grew, his poverty-stricken parents had no chance to seek medical treatment for their son.

"We're an ordinary family and it breaks my heart to see him suffer but we have no money for medicine," explained dad Meng Zhaoguang.

Weixen added: "I like school but it hurts to walk and I can't go quickly or join in many games. Children sometimes call me names but they don't mean to be cruel"

Now Weixen is facing a new life after well-wishers donated thousands of pounds for medical fees after he appeared in local media.

Medics at Shanghai's Children's Hospital in eastern China believe he is suffering from neurofibroma, a disease that causes tumours to grow on nerve endings.

Doctor Tang Yujin said: "We can treat the condition and when that is stable we plan to reduce the size of his feet so they look and feel more normal."

Tragic Ski Girl Dies
A 10-year-old British schoolgirl has died after skiing into a tree at high speed during a family holiday tragedy in the Austrian Alps.

Peak Performance
Police chiefs in Hamburg, Germany, are celebrating after new crime figures showed there wasn't a single bank robbery in the city last year.

Chinese Fakeaway
Chinese property developers who've been thwarted in a bid to buy up an entire Austrian village have settled on the next best thing - an entire life-sized replica.

Austrian children help Romanian kids
A charity project run by the middle school in Hippach has been recognised with an award for its social work by officials in Tyrol.

Mother kills disabled daughter because she couldnt take care of her any longer
A Romanian woman killed her 8 year-old disabled daughter on Wednesday (yesterday)because she couldn't pay for her care, Libertatea newspaper reports.

Policeman accused of sex with the son of his girlfriend
A Policeman from Vulcan, Western Romania is currently being investigated for having sex with a minor, the son of his girlfriend, Cancan newspaper informs today (Thurs).

Serial killer survivor walks away alive after fall
An 85 year-old woman who survived the most cruel and notorious serial killer in Romania some 40 years ago, recently fell from the first floor of her apartment building and she walked away safe and sound, Cancan newspaper reports today (Thurs).

The son of Qatar Airlines BA beaten up in Romania
The son of the Board of Administration of Qatar Airlines Akbar Al Baker, was beaten up over the weekend at the launching party of a posh club in Mamaia, at the Romanian Black Sea shore, Cancan newspaper reports.

Majority starts president’s suspension procedures
A day after the Social Liberal Union (USL) legislators dismissed with a large majority of votes the two Speakers of the Parliament, the Union started today the procedures for the suspension and possible impeachment of President Traian Basescu. This is the second time when the Parliament asks for Basescu’s suspension.

Some 177 Roma repatriated by French authorities to Romania
Some 177 Romanian citizens of Roma origin were repatriated on Tuesday night from Lille, France, Romania TV news channel informs today (Weds).